The Indian cricket team's surprising 0-2 loss to South Africa in the just finished Test series has left the team reeling.
In the final match, the visiting team inflicted upon India a record defeat in terms of runs, contrary to predictions. It marked South Africa's first series win in the subcontinent in two and a half decades and India's second defeat at home in just a year after a decade-plus without a home loss.
The winning rhythm built over the previous half-year has almost disappeared and the futures of multiple squad members - as well as team coach the coach - are now uncertain.
Early Optimism Vanishes
The new-look squad's impressive performance in the UK this summer, under a fresh leadership, pointed to a successful handover post the almost concurrent departures of veterans R Ashwin, Sharma, and Kohli.
An easy 2-0 win over West Indies at the start of the home campaign strengthened that view, before the Proteas arrived to deliver a devastating defeat.
India were a bit unlucky that skipper Gill was injured early on in the opening Test and took no further part in the series. However, that fails to account for the team of the well below standard performance in each match against South Africa.
A number of star cricketers were damaged, and several players aspiring to extended tenures in Tests were revealed to be not up to the mark - in skill or mindset - for the longer format.
Concerning History
This was the second series sweep on home soil endured by India in just a year. Last year, underestimated the Kiwis had secured a remarkable 3-0 win which effectively cost India a spot in the World Test Championship (WTC) final.
The latest loss to the Proteas could damage the team's hopes of making the decider of this season too.
After being third in the Test championship standings ahead of the matches, India have been relegated to number five. Although nine additional matches are yet to be played, a majority are against Australia. Typically, performing in familiar conditions would be a huge advantage - even when facing the mighty Aussies. But the debacles against New Zealand and South Africa offer no room for that confidence.
Causes of the Fall
India's vulnerability in red-ball cricket has been badly exposed. That said, why the team have performed so poorly in Tests at home lately is continues to confuse.
From the year 2000 onwards, India were considered unbeatable in Test cricket at home. In hot, humid conditions and on pitches that assisted spinners and benefited their players, the hosts dominated all comers. The occasional loss, such as in the 2012-13 season against the English, was viewed as an aberration.
Now, the team appear to be easy pickings on home turf.
Against New Zealand in 2024 and South Africa currently, India were defeated by their own tactics. The surfaces they developed to favor their game backfired spectacularly, as the opposition exploited them better, outplaying the Indian batters and bowlers when it counted the most.
What Happened?
A few experts argue that the Indian team is floundering at home because home surfaces have been altered from turners to pace-friendly pitches to train the squad to do well overseas.
Some point out that the Indian Premier League (IPL), in which numerous foreign cricketers take part, has removed the surprise and difficulty subcontinental pitches would pose to them in the past.
Although there is some truth in each argument, it does not clarify why India's performances at home have experienced such a sharp fall.
Multiple Failings
Many past stars diagnose a complicated issue, not only a couple of reasons.
Experts and participants have pointed to several failings following India's humiliating loss to the South Africans: underrating the rivals, poor preparation, flawed selections, arrogance, constant chopping and changing of the starting eleven, and emphasizing limited-overs over the longer format.
This was evident in the showings of the squad.
Players such as Rishabh Pant and Jaiswal, of whom high hopes were held, suffered for their nonchalance, while Sai Sudarshan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Dhruv Jurel - who were looking to cement their position in the squad - were found wanting in skill and mindset, paying a heavy price for their casual attitude.
Just a few - Jadeja, Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj and Sundar - lived up to their talent and reputation - but not well enough to claim wins.
Management Questions
The review didn't spare not only the cricketers - selectors and support staff were also questioned, spurred on by distraught fans and outspoken ex-cricketers. In the spotlight of the criticism was mentor Gambhir.
During his post-series press
